HEOP Students Participate in International Study Program in Ireland

Event Date(s):

Tuesday, April 14, 2015 - 9:10am

Over spring break in March 2015, three of Cazenovia College’s HEOP students joined 39 other Caz students and faculty traveling to Ireland for the special topics class Peat, Potatoes, and Pubs: The Culture of Ireland. This interdisciplinary course introduced students to the richness that is Ireland through exploring its culture, both past and present. This international study component of the course took place over eight days, exploring sites – both historic and contemporary – in and around Dublin, Ireland’s capital city.

We want to celebrate these three HEOP students. It was an amazing opportunity to broaden their horizons, see the world (and themselves,) in a new light, and be challenged on a more global basis. These three students represent what Cazenovia College HEOP means, and we are proud to have such ambassadors.

Junior Communications Studies major and Business minor Carlos Garcia, whose parents are Dominican, was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Garcia moved to the United States with his family when he was 14 years old, and went to middle and high school in the Syracuse city school district. He chose his major because he felt it was a perfect fit. Garcia chose Cazenovia College because of its size, and the opportunity to interact more closely with the professors. Garcia is currently the vice president of the Latin Club, and co-director of Communication for the Student Government Association. Garcia loves to travel, and eagerly immersed himself in learning and experiencing the culture in Ireland, a subject he has been interested in since high school.

Sophomore Shakiya Booker, International Studies major and Journalism minor, is from Schenectady, New York, and came to Cazenovia College originally as a Visual Communications: Advertising major, but in the fall semester of her sophomore year she realized that her love for travel, politics and different cultures meant that International Studies was a better fit for her. She wants to explore photojournalism (her minor) and filmmaking, to incorporate this into the Peat, Potatoes and Pubs course. Her goal is to create a series of photos and video record the whole journey. After graduation, Booker hopes to join the Peace Corps.

Sophomore Salat Ali, Psychology major and Human Services and Sociology minor, is originally from Somalia, but has lived in Syracuse, New York for nine years now. Ali decided to major in Psychology because he fell in love with studying human behavior, and feels it has made him grow in ways he never thought it would, including teaching him ways to be and stay happy. When people ask him "Where have you been to?” he is hoping to say that he traveled around the world, and by going to Ireland, Ali has accomplished a piece of that dream.

HEOP and its activities are supported, in whole or in part, by the New York State Education Department.